Publications

When the influenza A (H1N1) pandemic spread across the globe from April 2009 to August 2010, many WHO Member States used antiviral drugs, specifically neuraminidase inhibitors (NAIs) oseltamivir and zanamivir, to treat influenza patients in critical condition. Antivirals have been found to be effective in reducing severity and duration of influenza illness, and likely reduce morbidity; however, it is unclear whether NAIs used during the pandemic reduced H1N1 mortality. To assess the association between antivirals and influenza mortality, at an ecologic level, country-level data on supply of oseltamivir and zanamivir were compared to laboratory-confirmed H1N1 deaths (per 100 000 people) from July 2009 to August 2010 in 42 WHO Member States. From this analysis, it was found that each 10% increase in kilograms of oseltamivir, per 100 000 people, was associated with a 1·6% reduction in H1N1 mortality over the pandemic period [relative rate (RR) = 0·84 per log increase in oseltamivir supply]. Each 10% increase in kilogram of active zanamivir, per 100 000, was associated with a 0·3% reduction in H1N1 mortality (RR = 0·97 per log increase). While limitations exist in the inference that can be drawn from an ecologic evaluation, this analysis offers evidence of a protective relationship between antiviral drug supply and influenza mortality and supports a role for influenza antiviral use in future pandemics. This article summarises the original study described previously, which can be accessed through the following citation: Miller PE, Rambachan A, Hubbard RJ, Li J, Meyer AE, et al. (2012) Supply of Neuraminidase Inhibitors Related to Reduced Influenza A (H1N1) Mortality during the 2009-2010 H1N1 Pandemic: An Ecological Study. PLoS ONE 7(9): e43491.

OBJECTIVE

With increasing oversight of postoperative outcomes with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the reduction of readmissions is necessary to avoid financial penalties. This article provides a multi-institutional, multivariate analysis of the pre- and postoperative patient factors associated with readmission after carotid endarterectomy (CEA).

METHODS

Using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program from 2011, we considered 8456 patients. The primary outcome variable was 30-day unplanned readmission. Multiple logistic regression was used, and we controlled for preoperative demographic variables, comorbidities and clinical characteristics, and postoperative medical and surgical complications.

RESULTS

Patients with CEA had a 6.0% unplanned readmission rate. The most common comorbidities in the readmitted patients included hypertension, diabetes, and bleeding disorder. Risk-adjusted multiple regression indicated that preoperative bleeding disorder (odds ratio [OR] 1.62), diabetes (OR 1.46), history of a cerebrovascular accident/stroke (OR 1.46), and increasing age (OR 1.01) were statistically significant predictors for readmission. Postoperatively, surgical-site infection (OR 21.90), myocardial infarction (OR 10.35), sepsis/septic shock (OR 7.79), cerebrovascular accident/stroke (OR 6.58), pneumonia (OR 4.37), and urinary tract infection (OR 3.21) were associated with a greater rate of readmission.

CONCLUSIONS

Readmission after CEA occurs at a comparatively high rate. Preoperative bleeding disorders, diabetes, cerebrovascular accidents, and age and postoperative surgical-site infection, myocardial infarction, sepsis/septic shock, pneumonia, and cerebrovascular accident were associated with readmission. These findings may help guide the surgical management of patients and prevent costly readmissions.

BACKGROUND

Thrombosis is a common cause of flap failure in microvascular tissue transfer, which questions the effects of anemia on this outcome. This article seeks to contribute a large, multi-institutional data analysis to this debate.

METHODS

Free tissue transfer patients were identified in the National Surgical Quality Improvement database through a specified Current Procedural Terminology algorithm. Bivariate analysis compared anemic and nonanemic groups with respect to flap failure and other outcomes. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine risk factors for flap failure.

RESULTS

Of the 864 patients who met inclusion criteria, 244 were anemic and 620 were not. Bivariate analysis showed no significant difference between groups with respect to flap failure (3.28% vs. 4.03%, P = 0.0603). Multivariate regression analysis supported this (OR 95% CI = 0.371-1.912).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings, based on the largest sample in the literature, show anemia is neither a predictor of free tissue transfer failure nor is it protective.